TCM shares crucial CCS lessons learned with ROAD

TCM and SINTEF shared some important lessons learned with the key project partners in Holland's planned fullscale CCS project, ROAD, in yesterday's workshop at Mongstad.

- We have gained lots of knowledge i.e. about degradation of solvents and emissions , which is very useful in the ongoing planning of fullscale project in Norway and abroad. These issues are crucial to have an understanding of to secure stable operations, to mimimize environmental impact, and to reduce costs, says TCMs managing director Roy Vardheim.

- We are proud of the broad expertise built up at Mongstad and i.e. at SINTEF in Trondheim, and this workshop is the most recent in a number of similar knowledge sharing sessions we have had with fullscale projects and the CCS community, Vardheim adds.

The Rotterdam Capture and Storage Demonstration Project (ROAD) is an initative of Uniper Benelux (previously E.ON Benelux) and ENGIE Energie Nederland (previously GDF SUEZ Energie Nederland). As of 2015, ROAD plans to capture 1.1 million tonnes of CO2 per year from a new power plant at the Maasvlakte and will store the captured CO2 in a depleted gas reservoir under the North Sea.

It is worldwide one of the first projects to realise an integrated chain of CO2 capture, transport and storage on a large scale. ROAD aims to demonstrate the technical and economic feasibility of CCS and it can be deployed on a large scale on power plants and energy-intensive industries.

ROAD is co-financed by the European Commission within the framework of the Energy programme for recovery, the Government of the Netherlands and the Global CCS Institute.

On behalf of the Norwegian Government, Minister of Petroleum and Energy Tord Lien has replied positively to an invitation from the European Commissionen to participate in a research programme under the Horizon 2020 Programme. The Norwegian contribution will help establish a programme aiming to support research activities in the operative phase of a full scale CCS project in the EU.

Any project fulfilling the requirements of a joint call would be eligible to apply. The ROAD project in the Netherlands is currently the most mature project in Europe, and could be a possible candidate.